It wasn’t too long ago that we discussed some of the coolest spots for a post-round drink in the United States. Of course, that begged the question, what about the best celebratory spots overseas?
With that in mind, I did some thinking, asked a few in-the-know golf travel experts, and ultimately compiled a list of eight special spots where you’ll want to go to celebrate a special international round.
18 at Rusacks St. Andrews
St. Andrews, Scotland
I would never discourage a visit to the Dunvegan Bar after any round played in St. Andrews, but after a round on the Old Course, the Dunvegan is my Plan B. Plan A is the rooftop bar at the Rusacks St. Andrews hotel, where there’s a trio of beers on tap, seven more (including ciders) in cans and bottles, more than a dozen craft cocktails on the menu, an expansive wine list, and—most importantly—an outdoor patio that offers unobstructed views of the R&A clubhouse, glimpses of West Sands Beach, and a spot where you can watch golfers teeing off on the first at the Old Course and coming in on 18.
The Harbour Bar
Portrush, Northern Ireland
Whereas I might suggest skipping St. Andrews’s most famous golf bar given the right conditions, I’m never advocating for that in Portrush. So even after a round played on the Dunluce at Royal Portrush, you’d be wise to hop in your car and drive 1.5 miles northwest to The Harbour Bar. If you’re lucky, bar manager Willie Gregg will be there to regale you with stories and classic one-liners (ask him about his chance encounter with Bob Hope). Even if Willie is away, you’ll be surrounded by a like-minded group of golf enthusiasts with pints of fresh Guinness at the ready.
The American Bar at Gleneagles Resort
Auchterarder, Scotland
Following a round on any of Gleneagles’s courses, you should absolutely swing through Auchterarder 70, the clubhouse pub named after the property’s original telephone number. There you’ll find at least a half dozen craft beers are on tap with a handful more available in bottles and cans. Just don’t linger too long, because the real destination for post-round celebrations is The American Bar—a cocktail den inspired by the Roaring Twenties where modern twists are applied to the classics using fresh, local ingredients. Just make sure you freshen up before you arrive.
Altos de Chavón at Casa de Campo Resort & Villas
La Romana, Dominican Republic
Getting up to Dye Fore at Casa de Campo Resort & Villas is a bit of an adventure, especially if you drive yourself there in a golf cart. The course’s dramatic perch, some 200 feet above the Chavón River, is ample reward from a playing perspective. From the vantage point of celebratory, post-round beverages, it’s actually all about vantage points, which is why you should take the walk to Altos de Chavón, where you can enjoy a beer or cocktail at either La Piazetta or Chilango Taqueria and marvel in the modern recreation of a 16th-century Mediterranean village—not to mention take in some fantastic views of the river flowing several hundred feet beneath the cliff’s edge.
Bar Ross and Royal Golf Hotel
Dornoch, Scotland
Maybe when the new clubhouse is complete at Royal Dornoch sometime in 2026, I’ll feel differently. For now, your best post-round drinking experience after 18 holes on the Highlands gem can be had one of two places. You can either take the one-minute walk (literally) to the bar at the Royal Golf Hotel or you can stroll four minutes to the Bar Ross at Dornoch Station. Better yet, you do both and turn it into a brief, post-round pub crawl. Don’t forget to bring a bag tag to the Royal Golf Hotel—you can attach it to the ceiling just above the bar. Similarly, at Bar Ross, you can leave a golf ball along the chair rail that runs along the perimeter of the billiard room. As for what to order, that’s entirely up to you—but I can attest that the Smoking Gun (Ardbeg whisky, Grand Marnier, and honey) is fantastic, if you like that sort of thing.
The Percy French at Slieve Donard
Newcastle, Northern Ireland
Much like Bar Ross and the Royal Golf Hotel in Dornoch, the Irish pub, Percy French, in Newcastle offers visitors a chance to contribute to the décor, so bring an extra filled out scorecard for a round—it could be on the neighboring Championship Links at Royal County Down, but it doesn’t have to be—and ask to tack it up somewhere through the establishment. And if you’re a fan of Irish whiskey and stout beer, make sure you ask for a pour of Born Irish; it’s a local whiskey, distilled using chocolate malt rye, that’s finished in Irish stout casks. You can’t find it anywhere else in town, and that includes all of Newcastle’s bottle shops (believe me, I searched high and low for it).
The Old Clubhouse
Gullane, Scotland
Depending on when you’re lucky enough to tee it up at Muirfield, you may get all the drinking you can handle while you’re there. (Club traditions call for long lunches with lots of libations, not to mention generous pours of kummel, which has rendered many golfers—including greats, such as Tom Watson—a bit fuzzy as they started their afternoon matches over the years.) If your visitor experience at the home of The Honorable Company of Edinburgh Golfers isn’t that type of marathon session, you’ll want to head a mile west, back into town, and grab a spot at The Old Clubhouse. There you can grab an ale on cask or pick from a wide selection of single malt whiskies. If you’re still angling for more golf, the clubhouse overlooks the town’s putting green, where you could roll a few in between rounds.
Gigi’s Bar at Quinta do Lago Resort
Almancil, Portugal
There are plenty of options for where you can tee it up at Quinta do Lago on Portugal’s southern coast. Similarly, there’s no shortage of bars at the resort where you could order a couple of rounds to celebrate the round that you just played. In fact, there are seven. But the one that stands above all others is Gigi’s Bar. There you can ditch the soft spikes and go barefoot on the beach, enjoy the rustic vibe, and order one of eight signature cocktails.
Where have you enjoyed a post-round drink in your golf travels abroad?
